Rachabanda II Launched At Jaggampet

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Wednesday claimed that the successful conduct of the second phase of Rachabanda program would minimise the problems being faced by the people in the state.

Speaking after launching the program at Jaggampet in East Godavari district, the Chief Minister listed out the measures proposed to be implemented across the state during the month-long program.

He said that as many as 6 lakh new ration cards would be issued, and nearly 3 lakh sites for homes for the poor would be sanctioned. He said that over 50 lakh families would benefit in the second phase of the Rachabanda program.

In East Godavari alone, nearly 37,000 new pensions and 38,000 sites for houses would be sanctioned.

The CM also announced that after March next year, people would be able to get their quota of ration from any ration dealer across the state. However, he did not disclose further details on how this system would be executed.

He also said that the Civil Supplies Department would soon release a toll-free number where people would be able to express their grievances related to their ration. He said the Department would act on all complaints immediately.

Kiran Kumar Reddy said that the state government will consider the month of November the "Welfare Month".

Later, the Chief Minister also launched the program in the Visakhapatnam district.

It may be mentioned here that a total of 1,116 mandals and 134 municipalities would be covered under Rachabanda-II. Distribution of nearly 24 lakh ration cards, 5 lakh pensions and 6 lakh housing sanction orders would be done during the program.

The government also aims at providing drinking water facilities in 6,958 rural schools in this round of Rachabanda.

Earlier, the Chief Minister had issued an appeal to people and elected representatives of the Telangana region, to make this program success. The appeal was apparently made to get people out of the hangover of the 42-day Telangana general strike.

In the Telangana region, 2 schemes - Rachabanda, Indira Jala Prabha and Rythu Mahila Sadassulu - have been integrated, and they were likely to benefit about 55 lakh people at a cost of Rs. 1,300 crore. (INN)